Hello from Las Vegas (help needed)

laynrockers

Cuttlefish
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Messages
19
Hi guys,

Looking to combine a few things in one here. I like most all of you have the obsession with aquariums and the endless possibilities, most recently I started my third tank a 75 gallon bow front on my office. My intention is to get an octopus again (ill explain) I cycled the tank with two lion fish - i moved them to my larger 400g tank (one day ill post pics i built the tank,sumps,filtration,vats,myself. was a fun project) So last week I ordered my first octo from Liveaquaria.com off of their divers den. they called it a "Macropus" it was red in the photos. sadly the shipping and handling was too much for the little guy and he didn't make it alive to me.

I would like to know where you guys order your octos I browsed all the sites and can only seem to find very common small kinds for around $40.

I plan to share more but I am off to work, all help is appreciated. looking to order one ASAP and would prefer something on the larger side.

Thanks
 
You would not have been happy with a Macropus for the office unless you are there during the night shift. They are quite nocturnal.

A 75 will allow you to keep most of the octopuses we commonly see for sale. Keep an eye on the Octopus Availability thread for postings by members when we spot one for sale.

For a daytime office, the most active during normal office hours will be O.hummelincki (hard to find in the last couple of years and usually comes from Haiti but can also be found off the FL coast), A.aculeatus (an Indonesian animal and often what is shipped by Live Aquaria in their regular listing - warning sometimes they are Macropus and sometimes another, nocturnal variety of Abdopus) or O.bimaculoides (Pacific animal requiring a chiller and not available for sale from CA because of laws). Finding these animals is difficult and continual search is required. Additionally, vendors rarely know what species they are selling so you never quite know what you will end up housing. The life span is so short (roughly a year for most that we keep and they will not be new hatch when they are caught) that not getting the species you hope for is not a major commitment but the loss due to age is always painful.

An alternate I would suggest for your tank would be to consider cuttlefish. They are best hatched from eggs (expensive to feed for the first couple of months) and are better suited for your daytime tank. You might look through the cuttlefish forum and its journals to see if this is a cephalopod you would enjoy. They can be kept with many more corals (not so with octopuses) and a secure top is not required.
 
Welcome! It's always more fun to make everything yourself. A little bit frustrating sometimes but it's nice when it all comes together. Would be great to see some photos of your tank.

I think D covered everything else perfectly!

Greg
 
I just got an email from Tom he just got two new octos a pygmy and a vulgaris. I have a 75 gallon with 30g sump all sealed up and ready for an octo. This will be my first octo which one should I get? When i google the pygmy they look smaller? looking for some feedback on differences and which species is easier to care for and larger..

Thanks guys
 
Here is my larger split room tank i built.



 

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Here is where it is at right now, finished up the lower cabinets two weeks ago and now i am working on the canopy to cover up the lights. The other tnk is my newest one i started in my office specially for the octo. I should have him by tuesday.. :smile:


 

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The vulgaris is likely going to be way too large for either tank when full grown. LittleBit was exceptionally small (if she was indeed O. vulgaris as I am now thinking) and about half the normal size for this species. The pygmy will be too small (assuming O. mercatoris), and you will not likely see it in a large tank.

Which did you order?
 
DWhatley;186986 said:
The vulgaris is likely going to be way to large for either tank when full grown. LittleBit was exceptionally small (if she was indeed O. vulgaris as I am now thinking) and about half the normal size for this species. The pygmy will be too small (assuming O. mercatoris), and you will not likely see it in a large tank.

Which did you order?



Went with the Vulgaris.
 
Got my first (alive) octo today!!:smile:

Tom said it was either a briariues/vulgaris. I attached a picture. My question is the octo seems to be quivering, hiccuping, or shaking every once in a while and breathing hard. Ive never had one before so let me know if this is normal or if any of you have seen this. I turned the lights off and he came out from behind the rocks and has been on the front of the glass for the last two hours staying in the same spot. Also when the lights where on he was flashing a lot of colors around his eyes??

Temp is 76F Salinity .025


 

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O. briareus. Breathing hard and the hiccup are not good signs. Check your salinity and ammonia/nitrite. The last two can cause major stress. If you are reading ANY do a large water change. Was the water in the bag clear or cloudy?

The eyes flashing color are not a concern and are mood indicators. Hanging out in the open and hard breathing are very much a concern.

Just saw you temp and specific gravity, they are fine. Temp could be a littler closer to 78 but 76 is not an issue at the moment and I would not raise it until he recovers.
 
That is what I was afraid of. That is likely ink and may be the problem with his breathing. If you have NO ammonia and NO nitrates detectable, all you can do is watch and wait. He should go hide after he is left alone in the dark. This species often won't come out of the bag with the lights on and will cling to the wall until it is totally dark and it detects no movement for several hours. If he remains in the open over night and continues to hiccup, the chances of survival drop. This is one of the hardier species and it looks like a good age (my guess is around 5 months - a good age for this species because it is about the time they start being more curious than scared). What you want to see is for it to hide and be reclusive for a week or two, then start coming out slowly.

The next 24 hours are critical then the next two weeks. After that, you should be home free but getting there is ALWAYS tramatic for me.
 
I appreciate all your help:notworth:. The sad thing is how hard the shipping is on these guys.. I shut the lights down, ill check on him in the morning and again at lunch tomorrow at that time i'll also check the levels. Hopefully he makes it
 

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